1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a display control technique for displaying folders used to classify electronic files, and an information processing apparatus for use therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, data of electronic documents, photographs, videos, music, and the like (electronic files) are increasingly being handled along with the popularization of devices that can generate and store these electronic files.
These electronic files may generally be shared on small-scale networks in home or offices, on middle-scale networks across a plurality of offices, or on the Internet, and may be accessible by a large number of users.
In general, in order to share electronic files in a network, users having the right to access the electronic files (to be referred to as access rights hereinafter) are set via a file management system. This may be done to ensure the security of the electronic files to be shared, and to protect privacy.
When a user who has no access right attempts to access a electronic file set with an access right, the file management system generally may execute a display control to hide information associated with that electronic file.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-141351, upon managing electronic files using folders having a hierarchical structure, access rights are allowed to be set for respective electronic files or folders, thus hiding information associated with electronic files.
In the case of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-141351, since access rights can also be set for respective folders, even when a folder name based on attribute information of electronic files is given to each folder, the attribute information of electronic files can be prevented from leaking due to that folder name.
However, when the access rights are allowed to be set for respective electronic files and folders as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-141351, the operation load on an administrator who sets these access rights may be heavy.
In the case of a file management system that automatically generates a folder based on attribute information of electronic files, and classifies the electronic files, a folder that is dynamically generated in response to a display instruction of the user typically cannot be hidden in the first place.